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  1. Ergodic theory, interpretations of probability and the foundations of statistical mechanics.Janneke van Lith - 2001 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 32 (4):581--94.
    The traditional use of ergodic theory in the foundations of equilibrium statistical mechanics is that it provides a link between thermodynamic observables and microcanonical probabilities. First of all, the ergodic theorem demonstrates the equality of microcanonical phase averages and infinite time averages (albeit for a special class of systems, and up to a measure zero set of exceptions). Secondly, one argues that actual measurements of thermodynamic quantities yield time averaged quantities, since measurements take a long time. The combination of these (...)
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  2. Reconsidering the concept of equilibrium in classical statistical mechanics.Janneke van Lith - 1999 - Philosophy of Science 66 (3):118.
    In the usual procedure of deriving equilibrium thermodynamics from classical statistical mechanics, Gibbsian fine-grained entropy is taken as the analogue of thermodynamical entropy. However, it is well known that the fine-grained entropy remains constant under the Hamiltonian flow. In this paper it is argued that we need not search for alternatives for fine-grained entropy, nor do we have to reject Hamiltonian dynamics, in order to solve the problem of the constancy of fine-grained entropy and, more generally, to account for the (...)
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  3. Thermodynamic Uncertainty Relations.Jos Uffink & Janneke van Lith - 1999 - Foundations of Physics 29 (5):655-692.
    Bohr and Heisenberg suggested that the thermodynamical quantities of temperature and energy are complementary in the same way as position and momentum in quantum mechanics. Roughly speaking their idea was that a definite temperature can be attributed to a system only if it is submerged in a heat bath, in which case energy fluctuations are unavoidable. On the other hand, a definite energy can be assigned only to systems in thermal isolation, thus excluding the simultaneous determination of its temperature. Rosenfeld (...)
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    In Memoriam Hanneke Janssen.Jos Uffink, Dennis Dieks, Janneke van Lith & Geurt Sengers - 2008 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 39 (4):917-918.
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    Essay review: Probability in classical statistical physics.Janneke van Lith - 2001 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 33:143–50.
    Review article of Y.M. Guttmann, <em>The Concept of Probability in Statistical Physics</em>, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
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